This Sunday we will be tasting two lovely Washington wines. A moderately priced Walla Walla rosé and Columbia Valley Tempranillo.
The Hence cellars winery is located on the south side of Walla Walla on shared grounds with the Orchards personal residence. The estate vineyards provide the landscape between the two. Current production sits plus or minus 1,200 cases a year, with 90% of the fruit grown and managed Henderson, and my father Willis “Papa” Orchard. The focus is on quality control, from the grape to the “Juice”. We take the fruit and extracts a concentrated delightful blend of fruit with 100% new oak, which is a mix of French, American, and a “sprinkle” of Hungarian Oak. The process is not one of speed, considering the wines avg. 24-28 months in barrel, which is critical in order to get that balance of fruit and barrel flavors.
2012 Hence Cellars Walla Walla Rosé ($11)
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Mourvedre, 15% Merlot, 15% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec
Another wheat farmer turned wine maker, Hence Cellars producers small lot estate wine from their Wall Walla properties. This on has a little bit of the whole vineyard in it. It is bold and fruity, but has enough acid to hold it all togeher.
Kana is a native word for the spirit or the fire within a mountain, in reference to the perceived supernatural power of volcanic activity. The Yakima and Columbia Valleys are awash with volcanic soil influences, providing terroir from the millennia of “Kana” escaping from nearby volcanic mountains, to lay resting as soil for our world-class vineyards.
2008 Kana Tempranillo($15)
Sourced from Stone Tree (60%) and Elephant Mountain (40%) Vineyards and aged 3 years in French and American oak, 1/3 new, Kana’s Tempranillo shows beautifully intense aromatics and flavors of black cherry, raspberry and caramel almonds wrapped with chalky tannins and finishes long with a compact fruit finish and balanced acids.
We start tasting at 11am until the bottles run out – stop by early to make sure you get to taste these two lovelies.